miércoles, 21 de septiembre de 2016

The main season for northern European visitors is just starting on La Palma. Not only Thomson, but also Easy Jet are now offering direct flights to the island from the UK. Cruise ships will also be calling on a regular basis throughout the autumn and winter.

The wildfire back in August has blackened pine forests in the south, making the drive down the western flank from Las Manchas to Fuencaliente rather depressing, but otherwise, not much of the burnt area is visible from the island's roads. As a safety precaution, and to enable the local authorities to assess the damage, all hiking paths in the southern summits are currently closed.

The whole of the northern half of the island, including the Caldera de Taburiente National Park, is totally unaffected by the blaze.

Here is some promotional writing to whet your appetite before your visit:

domingo, 21 de febrero de 2016

One of the target species of any visiting birder to the La Palma is Bolle's Pigeon(Columba bollii). This species, together with the Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae), is endemic to the Western Canaries. These two unique pigeons can be observed at a number of locations in La Palma's laurel forests, or in areas nearby, in the so-called thermophilous woodlands. Getting good views of perched birds through a spotting scope is one of the priorities on my birding tours.

La Palma Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae ssp. palmensis)

Another bird of interest, found in the laurel forests and in a variety of other habitats, is the La Palma subspecies of African Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae ssp. palmensis). Note the very contrasting, bluish-black and white head pattern, and the off-white belly patch typical of the La Palma race.

La Palma Blue Tit (Cyanistes teneriffae ssp. palmensis)

The island's own sub-species of Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs ssp. palmae) is very confiding near people, and can be seen around picnic tables and outdoor leisure facilities, where it is often fed. In contrast to the nominate Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebscoelebs), note the dark blue-grey crown and upperparts, with ochre-reddish tones restricted to the breast. The female is greenish brown above, with creamy underparts. Some birds have been ringed, as the one shown in the image below.

La Palma Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs ssp. palmae)

The local race of Goldcrest (Regulus regulus ssp. ellenthalerae) can also be observed in laurel forests. It is a sub-species shared with the island of El Hierro.

Then there is the lush, sub-tropical vegetation, including many endemic plants and trees. One of the most emblematic among them is the Canary Island Bell-flower (Canarina canariensis) shown in the following image.

Canary Island Bell-flower (Canarina canariensis)

Come and discover some of the gems of the laurel forests, on a guided birding and nature tour.

miércoles, 13 de enero de 2016

Found in large numbers on the island of La Palma, either singly or in groups, the Canary Palm (Phoenix canariensis) can also be admired in botanical gardens the world over, and is often seen adorning parks and promenades in regions with a suitable Mediterranean-style climate. It is a close relative of the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), but does not produce edible fruits. However, the large orange-coloured seeds were once fed to livestock, and the sap (guarapo) is still harvested by night on the island of La Gomera to produce "palm honey".

The Canary Palm is a typical member of the so-called thermophilous vegetation zone, growing at elevations above the coastal scrub, but below the laurel forest. Other representatives of this community include juniper (Juniperus phoenicia), wild olive trees (Olea europaea ssp.cerasiformis), and the emblematic dragon trees (Dracaena draco).

Summit Bugloss, Echium wildpretii ssp. trichosiphon

The summit of the island, above the tree-line, is at its most colourful in May and June. Several endemic bugloss (Echium) species can be found there, such as the spectacular plant shown above. In an attempt to restore the landscape to its pristine glory, the Caldera de Taburiente National Park has been carrying out extensive re-planting of native flora within fenced-off areas to protect the seedlings from introduced rabbits and/or Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia). This well-intentioned project has unfortunately met with criticism from the island's most eminent botanist, who regards such heavy-handed interference with natural recovery processes as unwise. The work, and the debate, continue...

An interesting climber, Semele androgyna ("butcher's broom")

In laurel forested areas, in addition to the larger trees and bushes, keep an eye open for the curious liana shown above, endemic to Macaronesia. The small white flowers, apparently sprouting directly from the leaves are, in fact, produced from nodes on what are really flattened stems or cladodes (also known as phylloclades).

La Palma's own particular breed of goat

In addition to its endemic flora and fauna, La Palma also harbours autochthonous breeds of livestock... and yes, that really is an English word. It's an adjective meaning native or indigenous, and can be used for animals, plants or even people. La Palma's aut..., native breed of goat is particularly well-adapted to the steep, rocky terrain characteristic of many parts of the island. The animals are kept mainly for milk production, from which excellent cheeses are made.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) flocking near one of their roosting sites

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), and smaller numbers of Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) can be observed all year round, although, surprisingly, no-one has ever discovered a nesting pair. It is one of the birding mysteries of the island: do they actually breed here, or not? Considerable numbers of both heron species over-winter on La Palma, as censuses in previous years have shown. One of their regular roosting sites is located along the section of coastline shown above. Another is at an irrigation pond hidden among banana plantations. The census technique consists of waiting at such sites and counting birds as they fly in just before nightfall.

jueves, 15 de enero de 2015

Above, perhaps a scene from an English cottage garden at the height of summer? Or just a section of one of La Palma's hiking paths...in mid-January? Believe it or not, many wild plants are already in bloom on the island, including several Canarian or Macaronesian endemics.

Myatropa florea - an abundant hover-fly

Bees, hover-flies, and butterflies can be observed foraging on the early supply of nectar. Below, a couple of colourful lepidoptera: